Why Krav Maga is Just Like Learning to Play Poker Guest blog By Maria Drozdova

July 20, Spain

We all encounter hurdles and bumps in the road to overcome as we grow up in
life. Sometimes in order to forget about our problems, we need to immerse
ourselves in the challenge of staying fit and protecting one another. Krav Maga
has been and always will be an excellent choice for anyone seeking practical
self-protection skills. It’s an approach that keeps things simple, teaching us
to protect ourselves as quickly as possible within the boundaries of the law.
The system is even being taught to women in the U.K. to repel the threat of street attackers.

Learning
this fast-paced, dynamic form of self-defense is akin to another
fast-paced, dynamic pastime that many of us love to enjoy: poker.

Arguably the quickest and most effective way to refine your Krav Maga skills
is to train with those who know what they are doing. Our Tour and Train program
facilitates
this perfectly. It’s the same in poker — sitting around the table with
seasoned professionals is the only way you’ll be able to pick up the tools of
the trade and learn from your
mistakes.

The techniques of Krav Maga are designed to expand upon
your natural instincts as a survivor, heightening your awareness and
reactions as a result. Awareness and natural instincts are some of the
key components of any successful poker player, too; as is the ability to
read the minds of other players and problem solve.

Let’s take a
look at some of the other skills and techniques that crossover between
our much-loved hand-to-hand combat system and the thrill of Texas
Hold’em Poker:

The ability to keep cool under pressure - Under no circumstances is
Krav Maga taught to individuals as a way of encouraging aggression or
violence. It’s not considered a martial art — it is merely a simple and
effective method of surviving and escaping the risk of threat or harm.
At the poker table, you’re required to keep your head while those around
you are losing theirs in order to the extract maximum profit from your
best hands.

Working with brutal efficiency - While some martial arts focus more
heavily on rituals, Krav Maga is about being brutally efficient with
every move. It’s exactly the same as a poker pro in a multi-table live
tournament where they have to bide their time in the early stages of an
event and when they do make a move, they must do so quickly and
painlessly without hemorrhaging chips.

Clever use of body language - Body language is an incredibly vital
component in the safe and effective utilization of Krav Maga. Not only
are you trained to de-escalate any threat verbally, you must also use
your body language and stance to desensitize any situation. When the
pressure is on at the poker table, you need to perfect that “poker face”
and give your opponents a nasty surprise at showdown!

The art of self-preservation - Overall, this much-loved hand-to-hand
combat system is solely focused on protecting you and those that are
closest to you. Self-preservation is a natural instinct that both Krav
Maga and poker unleash in equal measure. The former ensures that you
survive an attack and the latter ensures you’re alive and kicking at the
business end of a poker tournament.